Author
Topic: Installing Components For Newbies (Read 12376 times)

There is a small attempt for me to make a component installation tutorial, because I didn't find one.

INSTALLING COMPONENTS

Before installing a component or a pack of components, a little theory.In your Robot Arena 2 main folder, there are two things essential for components: the Components folder (default C:/Program Files/Infogrames/Robot Arena 2/Components/) and the Components.cfz file (default C:/Program Files/Infogrames/Robot Arena 2/Components.cfz).

The first, the database contains all the different components, each one has it's own folder. Normally, these folders contain some coding about components, the GMF file and the skin here. But this is not important here.

The Components.cfz is the file which is used by the game to make components appear in your bot lab. If you add a component into the Components folder (e.g. the database) without modifying the .cfz file, can't be used.

When installing a component, the RAR file contains two things: another updated Components.cfz file and a folder named as the component. For the first part, it's very simple: you just need to move the new .cfz file into your RA2 directory and overwrite the old .cfz file. The game will make a new slot in the component part of the bot lab.

But it's useless without the folder contained in the package. If you launch RA2 with the new Components.cfz file but not the new component, there will be a blank in the bot lab component tab (weapons, mechanics, extras...) corresponding to the new component. Clicking on it will crash the game.

To use the component, and after overwriting your game's Components.cfz, you must move the component-named folder (which is in the RAR package) to the Components folder.

If you add a brand new component, that should be fine. But if you replace an existing component with another "version" of it, this is more tricky :

You should go into the Components folder, select all the sub-folders, and remove the read only mode (right click, go in Properties and untick the "read only" option, at the lower part of the window that just appeared). (You can also remove the read only mode of just the component-named folder you want to replace, but it's pointless, especially if you want to add more components)

Then move the new component-named folder coming from the RAR package to your Components folder, and you must overwrite the old one.

Example: You want to install ACAMS antiballast. This one inserts into the Ballast entry of the Extras tab in the bot lab. It contains another RAR file named Weight. In this "Weight" RAR package, there are a .cfz file and a Components folder, which only contains a Ballast folder)

-Download it.-Remove the read only mode for all the folders into your Components folder (or simply the ballast folder, located at (default): C:/Program Files/Infogrames/Robot Arena 2/Components/ballast )-Extract the Antiballast package somewhere.-Extract the "Weight" package into your RA2 main folder and overwrite. This will overwrite your CFZ file and the ballast file into your Robot Arena 2/Components folder.-And now, the new component should work. And you could now begin to build superheavyweights.

I think I am if I cant figure out how to install the antiballast. I try and do what you said. :P

LOL im a sad case. The read only thing doesnt want to stay un-clicked. I right click on the components folder, click on properties, unclick read only and click apply and ok. Am I supposed to put it to hidden or not?

But it's a little more difficult than just selecting all the components folder for removing the read only mode. Oh I didn't mentioned that? I mentioned it. I tried like you to select simply the component folder to get rid of the read only -when installing DSL- and that didn't work.

You should go into the components folder, then select all the folders (Ctrl+A), properties for all these (make sure they're all selected when you left-click), and than unclick read only.

Or just select the ballast sub-folder in components folder, properties for this folder, and unclick read only.

Or repeat this for ALL the files in the same sub-folder. But this is just plain annoying.

That should work now. And after all this if you CANNOT MADE A DECENT SHW... I'LL...

... You're lucky, I'm off and no internet for five or six days. But RA2, yes. I'll show you guys plenty of cra... good bots.

just put the .bot file in the Robot Designs folder then go in game. click on an empty spot ONCE then hit import bot at the bottem of the team menu, select your bot then enter the bot lab if you want to mod it or anything eles and your done.

A minor thing to add is that the .cfz is just a compressed version of the .txt files so all you really need to do is put the .txt files in the Components folder if you don't want to mess with the .cfz (all drop-down components have .txt files that go into the Styles folder)

My .cfz file contain all standart stock parts,AI bonus parts,smart zones,ACAMS anti-ballast... And i think this is enouth at all... So instead of edit .cfz you can get it from me. Just PM me... And i know to edit .cfz anyway... So if you need help...